Seagulls Part 2

Warnings should be heeded more. People have this foolish habit of jumping into dangerous situations, even when they know it could get them killed. I should have known better than to assume that Gracie would listen to my warnings. She always jumped head first into situations, which was why she was such a great athlete. 

"I am serious. Especially about the rose gardens. Don't go in them alone." I repeated, though she only laughed and smiled. She put her hands up defensively, a sure sign that she had not taken my warning to heart. 

"Okay okay! I promise, I won't go into the rose gardens alone, I won't talk to your aunt? Great aunt? And I promise that I will not go towards the cliffs." She responded, kissing my forehead in an attempt to reassure me. At least she had listened. "Can I ask why the rose garden and aunt are off limits though?" 

"You don't really need to know why... I just, please make sure to not go near the gardens... and my great aunt should never be spoken to. It's a rule I have to follow as well. You'll... understand later." I said, biting my bit in anxiety. Gracie must have noticed that I was growing anxious, and she wrapped her arms around me and sighed. 

"Got it. I promise I will listen, okay? Don't stress so much." She was good at reassuring me, at least. Together we finished getting ready, Gracie chatting on and on about a recent match she had played. I had been there to watch her, of course, but I loved hearing her talk about it regardless. It was like seeing a different person entirely. The clock ticked on, and soon I decided it was time for us to go down to dinner. I walked down with Gracie, her holding onto my arm tightly. Her eyes kept wandering to the various paintings and sculptures we had around the house, most of which I knew intimately well. My favorite had always been the painting of this blonde girl sitting amongst the roses by the cliff. She was young, a child, with these striking green eyes and this beautiful green dress on. In her hand she held a tea cup that was spilling over, and I had always found that fascinating. I wanted to know who she was, why her tea was spilling, and what she was doing alone in the garden. I never got an answer, but I sometimes think that she must have been someone close to our family. Why else would we have her image on the wall? 

Once we reached the dinning room, one of our servants opened the door. His name was Gregory and he was a rather plain fellow I never fully noticed. It wasn't my job to notice him, after all. Gracie said a big hello and thank you to him as we entered, but I ignored it. Inside the rest of my family was already sitting. My mother and father sat together next to my great grandmother. Next to her, my grandmother. Alongside my grandmother were my aunt and her husband, their child, Annabelle, and then my great aunt sat next to Annabelle. I moved us to sit next to my father. It was a precarious move, considering Gracie now would be seated next to my great aunt. It would be the first test, one I felt near sick over. 

My great grandmother stood, and we all followed suit. Gracie smiled at me, looking excited for the dinner. I was not feeling so enthusiastic, but I gave her a smile back. 

"Welcome back home. I am so glad that you all could make it to our annual get together. Lacey, it is wonderful to have you join us once more. " She said, her eyes only giving Gracie a mere moment of a glance. "I am sure that the journey was tiring for you, and your... guest, so I certainly hope that you find rest and relaxation here." Her eyes settled onto my great aunt, who stared back at her without saying a word. Gracie looked between them, but she just squeezed my hand rather than low her excitement to show. I loved that about her as well. 

"As I am sure you all have realized, there is a key figure here today that is missing. It is with a heavy heart that I will tell you all my son-in-law, Grayson, has died this very morning." Gracie's smile dropped at this news. I squeezed her hand tightly, praying she would not react further. No one else moved, and it felt as if none of us breathed until my great grandmother spoke again. "We shall have his funeral tomorrow. The rest of our family gathering shall go as planned." She sat down then, and everyone followed suit. My aunt spoke after a large drink of her red wine. She loved her red wine. 

"Madam... If my father is dead, does that mean she will have no need to visit?" My aunt asked, her voice tinted with drunken hope. She must have been drinking already. Aunt Beth was a real estate agent who most definitely loved wine more than her child or husband. Her husband was Uncle Vladimir. He was Russian, and he almost never talked. Great Grandma Rosalie shook her head in distaste. 

"Elizabeth, you should know better than to ask such a question! How dare you show such impudence!" She yelled, her elderly voice as strong as ever. Aunt Beth merely shrunk down in her seat. Gracie was beginning to understand, I think, why I so very much hated being here. The tension within our family was mounting already, and evening hadn't even come yet. 

"You yell at me, but Lacie brought an outsider in without letting anyone know--" Aunt Beth began. I wanted to die when she said that. 

"Lacie is finally home and if it took bringing a friend, lover, or even a criminal here I could care less!" Great grandmother spoke out again, and my aunt shut up. My cousin, a 11 year old by the name of Jolanda began to giggle. 

"Mommy is in trouble again~" She sang out, and no one really reacted to this. She began to stab her food with her fork, laughing over and over. My father leaned over to me and whispered in my ear. 

"Make sure she says nothing." As if I didn't know that if Gracie said a word, it would turn horrible. I had hoped bringing her here would make everything more tolerable, yet it did not do anything but cause me anxiety. 

Finally, my mother snapped. 

"Make that stupid child shut up!" She yelled, standing up and pointing at Jolanda who laughed even louder. "Get your offspring to show respect, Beth! To think such behavior is allowed here--" 

"You are one to speak!" Vladimir spoke up, his accent thick and deep. "Your child came forth with this--" 

"Shut your mouth about my child you filthy piece of--" 

"We have been here for so little time and already you are at each others throats." A new voice joined the thrall. Everyone became silent once more. The servants brought out the food to be served, and even the sounds of shuffling feet were not enough to shut out the deafening silence that followed that voice. Gracie turned her head, looking towards my great aunt. The voice sounded far too young to belong to her, and yet it's familiar tones sent shivers down my spine. I held Gracie's hand tightly, urging her, willing her, to remember what I said. 

"I for once think it is a beautiful thing that young Lacie has brought such a wonderful young companion with her. It will make our family get together so much more interesting. For now sit and eat the wonderful feast our servants have made for us. It would be a waste to let such things go cold." She said, reaching a wrinkled hand out as she touched Gracie's shoulder. Gracie seemed to freeze up entirely. "Do you like poultry, dear? This is a local specialty." 

Gracie looked back at me for a moment, begging to know if she should speak. I held my breath. She nodded, and my great aunt merely smiled. 

"Wonderful. Enjoy then, and mind not the flapping of the family." 

I let my breath out of my lungs. She had passed the first test, it seemed.